A Celebration of Food, Wine and the North Fork

What makes a meal special? What do we really expect when dining on the North Fork? Is it truly a North Fork experience if it's not farm-to-table?

If you are a follower of this blog, chances are that you expect the same things I do. From ambiance and a comfortable setting, to true local ingredients and creativity with those ingredients. There should be unexpected flavors that still hint at tradition. We celebrate with food and wine. We celebrate the food and wine itself.

The occasion of a farewell "send-off" to a dear friend and co-worker brought us to the newly revived Luce Hawkins Inn & Restaurant or more affectionately known as Jedediah Hawkins Inn in Jamesport, now operated by the renowned Chef Keith Luce. Chef's belief in the local movement is evident in his menu, which is strong in sustainably sourced food as well as items from the kitchen's own garden. He feels it is "essential to provide a true earth to table dining experience."

Comfortable and inviting are the two descriptives I can come up with for the Luce Hawkins formal dining room. This unpretentious setting surprisingly plays with combining cool modern elements with grand Victorian structure and it works. I never thought I would pair those two themes together but items such as the almost tropically designed drapes with the whimsically striped booth patterns work with the tall, leaded window panes and 1800's era interior trim.

Although we would have liked the staff to relax a bit more, they were attentive and professional nonetheless and presented beautifully delicious dishes on the Chef's tasting menu. Courses included items such as squid two different ways: cornflower fried and grilled over a corn relish with tomato, tarragon and popped corn; Bay scallops over a cauliflower and potato puree presented in a scallop shell; duck paired with a Pecorino gnocchi; Kobe beef; a bleu cheese course with a floral honey and smoky almonds; coconut and melon with tapioca; and as a perfect finish (an additional course we added) homemade cinnamon and sugar donuts and chocolate cookies. Everything was fresh, using innovative styles with each dish as well as pairing with sides. It was an experience unlike any other I've had personally. I definitely recommend trying the restaurant and the tasting menu itself.

My post would not be complete without my (last but certainly not least) report on the wine. Perfectly selected, we began with a Gruner Veltliner that was refreshing with precise levels of acidity and fruit in a dry style that I always love. We moved on to a 2007 Turley zinfandel that brought the words "dark chocolate" and "luscious" to mind as we tasted it. The finish was matched with a Wolffer Estate Late Harvest Chardonnay that was perfect with the less-than-sweet, raw coconut in the dessert course. What would a fine dining experience be without a bit of espresso to round out the meal?

The celebration could not have been better. It was a wonderful experience that we will reminisce about for a while. Of course, a good point to remember in choosing a place on the North Fork is the company you choose to enjoy it with. Thank you to my good friends and colleagues!